1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a launching device, specifically to a payload delivery device and system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as mortar bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and generally has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber. A mortar is relatively simple and easy to operate. A modern mortar consists of a tube into which assistant gunners drop a purpose-designed bomb. The tube is generally set at between 45 and 85 degrees angle to the ground, with the higher angle giving shorter firing distances. The bomb generally has no cartridge case; the propellant is attached to the bomb's fins. When it reaches the base of the tube it hits a firing pin, which detonates the propellant and fires the projectile. Some larger caliber mortars have a string-operated firing pin.
Light and medium mortars are portable, and usually used by infantry units. The chief advantage a mortar section has over an artillery battery is the flexibility of small numbers, mobility and the ability to engage targets in the defilade with plunging fires. Mortars are able to fire from the protection of a trench or defilade. In these aspects, the mortar is an excellent infantry support weapon, as it can be transported over any terrain and is not burdened by the logistical support needed for artillery. Heavy mortars are typically between 120- and 300-mm calibre. These weapons are usually towed or vehicle-mounted, sometimes breech-loaded, and normally employed by infantry units attached to battalion through division level. Even at this size, mortars are simpler and less expensive than comparable howitzers or field guns.
A mortar can be carried by one or more people (larger mortars can usually be broken down into components), or transported in a vehicle. An infantry mortar can usually also be mounted and fired from a mortar-carrier, a purpose-built or modified armoured vehicle with a large roof-hatch. A mortar can also be a launcher for fireworks, a hand-held or vehicle-mounted projector for smoke shells or flares, or a large grenade launcher. Heavy mortars can be mounted on a towed carriage, or permanently vehicle-mounted as a self-propelled mortar. Twin-barrelled self-loading mortars—such as the Patria AMOS PT1—are the latest evolution of these heavy mortars and are mounted on platforms such as armoured personnel carriers, tank chassis, and coastal patrol boats.
Another defensive/offensive device is a claymore mine, which is a directional anti-personnel mine that provides a directed area attack by use of a shaped explosive adjacent to an array of metal balls. The claymore mine is generally effective out to about 50-100 meters within a 60 degree arc in front of the mine. It is hazardous to be adjacent to the mine when it explodes. Coverage beyond 100 meters is generally not effective and the shape covered is that of a semi-circular wedge.
Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below in their own words, and the supporting teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,990, issued to Fagan, discloses a firing launching system and method which comprises a base having a plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures receive a plurality of mortars which, in turn, receive a plurality of Pyrotechnic projectiles which may be situated in the plurality of mortars, respectively. The Pyrotechnic projectiles may then be ignited and launched to provide a fireworks display. The base may be a one-piece molded solid construction and provided with the plurality of apertures such that at least two-thirds of each of the plurality of mortars is encased to provide support to a wall of the mortar. The base may be provided with a plurality of apertures having a common diameter for receiving a common size mortar or receiving one of a plurality of sleeves, each having the same outer diameter, but a varying inner diameter to permit the sleeve to receive a different sized mortars. In alternate embodiments, the base may be provided hollow such that it can be filled with an insulator, such as water or sand, at a launch site. In this embodiment, the base can be emptied to facilitate transporting the base to and from the pyrotechnic launch site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,053, issued to Walker, discloses a pyrotechnic fan rack for mounting a plurality of individual fireworks pieces in a fanned array. The rack has an elongated body with an arcuate top profile and a flat base. Mounting ears are formed on the base to secure the rack to a surface. A series of sockets are formed through the top wall of the body along the horizontal length of the body. Each socket is formed in the body with its axis in preselected fixed angle relative to the axis of adjacent sockets. Tubes containing fireworks pieces are mounted in the sockets and extend out of the holes with their discharge ends in a desired angular relationship to adjacent firework pieces. A fuse groove seating an ignitable instantaneous fuse is formed along a horizontal length of the body connecting each of the sockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,152, issued to Adamson et al., discloses a method of successively launching a plurality of projectiles, such as fireworks projectiles, which explode into an aerial pyrotechnic display. The projectiles are launched from a launcher having a pressure tank containing a compressed gas and a plurality of launching tubes for holding the projectiles. The launching tubes are constructed to form a magazine to enable successive launching of fireworks projectiles by appropriate indexing of the magazine which brings the launching tubes into registration with the output port of a valve. The valve introduces compressed gas into one of the launching tubes to launch a projectile into the air. Indexing of the launching tubes when the pressure tank is pressurized prior to launch is prevented by a stop mechanism. The stop mechanism also prevents inadvertent or accidental detonation of the projectile in the launching tube. The method further includes the step of aiming the projectiles, preferably with an aiming apparatus comprising actuators that support the launcher and which are adjustable to change the launching angle of the launcher with respect to the ground each time a new launching tube is indexed to a launching position. The adjustment of these actuators is controlled by pneumatic switches that are operated during indexing of the launching tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,437, issued to Rieger et al., discloses a plurality of separate projectiles is held together in a multiple shell or cluster shell, in the form of a stack. At least two parallel springy flat bands (7) extend lengthwise around the stack. The flat bands (7) are looped around the front end and the free band ends engage the rare end of the stack with hooks (9). A tensioning element engages and holds the hooks (9) and thus the bands (7) tightly to the stack. After the shell is fired the tensioning element is served, e.g. by a cutter (19) so that the flat bands (7) spring or flare open to release and distribute the separate projectiles. The release means is equipped to either cause release immediately after the shell has left the firing tube (4) or with a delay. A front end plate (16) and a rear end plate (17) may be arranged at the ends of the stack. Intermediate plates (26) may be arranged between adjacent projectiles. Parachutes may be provided to pull the separate projectiles from the shell stack in sequence as the projectile bodies are released by the flat springy bands in order to realize with the separate projectile bodies various desired impact scatter or cluster patterns on ground.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2008/0276820, by Huang, discloses a styling pyrotechnic device comprising multiple, two preferred, bearing members with each disposed with multiple locating holes to receive insertion of multiple pyrotechnic tubes; each pyrotechnic tube being erected at a certain inclination; multiple locating holes on each bearing member being arranged in a circle; each circle having its circumference same as or different from that of another circle for multiple pyrotechnic tubes to be erected at different inclinations to produce various styling effects when fired into the skies.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include being difficult to use, being inaccurate, being limited in use, being limited in range, being limited in adaptability, being limited in payload variety, being difficult to control, being difficult to aim, being unduly complex, being expensive, not being disposable, failing to cover a desired region, failing to cover a desired-shaped region, requiring the operator to stand a great distance from the device during operation, being dangerous to operate especially in the proximity of the device, failing to appropriately distribute payload over a region, causing undesired overlapping/clumping of coverage of a region, causing gaps in coverage over a region, failing to provide for crowd dispersal, failing to cover a sufficient region, failing to provide area denial, and the like and combinations thereof.
What is needed is a delivery payload device and system that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.